SHERMAN, Texas – The Dallas Christian College volleyball team split a road tri-match held at Austin College on Wednesday this week. The Crusaders swept Paul Quinn College in three sets to begin the evening, but host Austin College would go 3-0 to have them settle for a split and even the season record at 2-2.
 
In the first contest, DCC squeaked out a 25-22 victory in the opening set before dominating the next pair of frames at 25-10 and 25-6, respectively. The setback dropped Paul Quinn to 2-8 overall.
 
The Crusaders opened the game down 4-0 but would close the gap to tie things after 20 combined points at 10 apiece. After playing back-and-forth, the Crusaders fell behind 21-16, but would start taking advantage of Paul Quinn miscues on the setter that were part of a 6-0 run. Cameron Del Angel picked up a couple of kills mixed in the surge including the go-head point at the time (22-21). The opposition answered with a kill by Kennadi Harris, but the final three points went to the Crusaders including a service ace by Caitlyn Yablon to set up the winning point. She served and a hitting error finished the tightest set of the match. DCC registered 11 kills for its second highest total in a set, but nine errors stood out as an obstacle to overcome. The team did, as it only combined for four hitting errors the rest of the way with two each set.
 
The Crusaders hit .400 in the second set and .389 in the final set that provided the widest gap and ended on an 11-1 run.
 
Lauren Baker led the offense with eight kills, while Elizabeth Morrow and Christen Downey had five and four, respectively. Kelly Graves totaled 10 assists. Yablon had 21 digs and formed a trio with Taylor Gary and Madelyn Guerrero on two service aces each. The team tallied nine for the game.
 
Game two was against NCAA Division III foe Austin College. The 'Roos (2-0) picked up two double-digit wins in the first and third set, but nearly edged a feisty DCC squad in the middle set, 25-23.
 
In that close set, the Crusaders compiled 14 of their points on kills. DCC scored twice to start the set and held a narrow lead throughout the early stages. Never leading by more than three, the Crusaders allowed Austin College to reclaim the lead at 16-14 after four straight points. Kills by Morrow and Maya Harrington put the score deadlocked at 18. The 'Roos notched six of the next eight points for the final swing. The Crusaders did not quit, as Downey and Baker put down kills from Hannah Gallegos to nip the deficit to 24-23. AC would get a kill by Victoria Smith to end the set.
 
Baker continues to pace the Crusaders in kills by leading in all four matches. This was her third match to eclipse double figures with 10. Morrow contributed six and Harrington followed with four. Graves and Gallegos were nearly even in assists with 12 and 11, respectively. Yablon collected 16 digs.
 
DCC had to cancel its road trip this weekend to Bob Jones University due to travel conditions with Hurricane Ida. The next time out will be to the Midwest on September 10-11. DCC will play at Kansas Christian College and then Manhattan Christian and Ozark Christian College in Joplin, Missouri.
 
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